From evidence to influence: A year of conservation leadership
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Published
2026-01-27How our research and policy contributions shaped the national conservation conversation in 2025.
Over the course of 2025, expedience over forethought, efficiency over evidence, and centralized power over place-based decision-making dominated much of the public conversation around conservation in Canada. As a result, our work shedding light on planetary limits and long-term ecological risk was more relevant than ever.
Across peer-reviewed science, applied frameworks, policy interventions, and public commentary, our team has been at the forefront of the science-policy interface: building evidence where it is lacking, translating that evidence into decision-relevant guidance, and intervening where choices carry long-term consequences for wildlife, ecosystems, and people.
Much of our work examined how species and ecosystems are responding to cumulative pressures, how climate change is reshaping ecological baselines, and how development and governance decisions either reinforce or undermine conservation objectives. At the same time, we have emphasized the role of people, including Indigenous knowledge holders, practitioners, and emerging leaders, in shaping durable conservation outcomes. Together, these outputs reflect a year of work oriented toward clarity, coherence, and the implications of decisions made today for the decades ahead.
Wildlife
Our species-focused work addressed conservation challenges across terrestrial and marine systems. This included journal articles on wildlife health, population dynamics, genetics, and conservation methods, with particular attention to bats, seabirds, small mammals, and disease dynamics. Complementing this research, we engaged in international and national policy processes related to species protection and biodiversity commitments and produced practical guidance to support species-specific conservation actions. Public-facing pieces extended this work into broader conversations about the status of wildlife in Canada, the costs of inaction for species at risk, and the continued importance of single-species approaches within broader biodiversity strategies.
